1 Maccabees 9

Demetrius heard that Nicanor and his army had been killed in battle. So he sent Bacchides and Alcimus into the land of Judea a second time, and with them the strongest part of his army.

1Furthermore, when Demetrius heard the Nicanor and his host were slain in battle, he sent Bacchides and Alcimus into the land of Judea the second time, and with them the chief strength of his host:

NoteDemetrius is Demetrius I, the Seleucid (Greek-Syrian) king who ruled from Antioch and claimed authority over Judea; Bacchides was his governor and general for the lands west of the Euphrates, and Alcimus was the Jewish high priest Demetrius had installed, opposed by Judas and his followers. "Host" is the King James word for an army, and it is used that way throughout this chapter.

2They marched by the road that leads to Galgala and camped in front of Masaloth, which is in Arbela. After they captured it, they killed many people.

2Who went forth by the way that leadeth to Galgala, and pitched their tents before Masaloth, which is in Arbela, and after they had won it, they slew much people.

NoteGalgala is the Greek spelling of Gilgal. Masaloth and Arbela lay in Galilee, west of the Sea of Galilee, so the army seems to have swung north before turning down toward Jerusalem; the route is not certain, and the places cannot all be identified.

3In the first month of the year one hundred fifty-two, they set up camp in front of Jerusalem.

3Also the first month of the hundred fifty and second year they encamped before Jerusalem:

Note1 Maccabees counts years from the founding of the Seleucid kingdom in 312 or 311 BC, so the one hundred fifty-second year is about 160 BC. The first month is Nisan, falling in March or April.

4From there they moved on and went to Berea with twenty thousand foot soldiers and two thousand men on horseback.

4From whence they removed, and went to Berea, with twenty thousand footmen and two thousand horsemen.

NoteBerea, probably Beerzeth, was a village north of Jerusalem. Its exact site is unknown.

5Judas had set up his camp at Eleasa, and he had three thousand picked men with him.

5Now Judas had pitched his tents at Eleasa, and three thousand chosen men with him:

NoteEleasa lay somewhere in the hills north of Jerusalem near Beth-horon; the site has not been identified with certainty.

6When they saw how huge the other army was, they were terrified, and many of them slipped away out of the camp, until only eight hundred men were left.

6Who seeing the multitude of the other army to he so great were sore afraid; whereupon many conveyed themselves out of the host, insomuch as abode of them no more but eight hundred men.

7When Judas saw that his army had slipped away and that the battle was closing in on him, he was deeply troubled in mind and greatly distressed, because he had no time to gather them together again.

7When Judas therefore saw that his host slipt away, and that the battle pressed upon him, he was sore troubled in mind, and much distressed, for that he had no time to gather them together.

8Even so, he said to those who stayed with him, "Let us get up and go up against our enemies. Perhaps we will be able to fight them."

8Nevertheless unto them that remained he said, Let us arise and go up against our enemies, if peradventure we may be able to fight with them.

Note"Peradventure" is the King James word for perhaps.

9But they tried to talk him out of it, saying, "We will never be able to do it. Let us save our lives now, and later we will come back with our brothers and fight them, because right now we are too few."

9But they dehorted him, saying, We shall never be able: let us now rather save our lives, and hereafter we will return with our brethren, and fight against them: for we are but few.

Note"Dehorted" is an old English word meaning urged him not to, the opposite of exhorted. It has dropped out of the language since 1611.

10Judas said, "Never let me do such a thing as run away from them. If our time has come, let us die bravely for our brothers, and let us not leave a stain on our honor."

10Then Judas said, God forbid that I should do this thing, and flee away from them: if our time be come, let us die manfully for our brethren, and let us not stain our honour.

Note"Stain our honour" is the language of reputation: to run away would leave a permanent mark of shame on the family name, not merely a feeling of embarrassment.

11At that, the army of Bacchides moved out of its tents and took its position facing them. Their horsemen were split into two groups, their slingers and archers went out in front of the army, and the men in the front line were all mighty fighters.

11With that the host of Bacchides removed out of their tents, and stood over against them, their horsemen being divided into two troops, and their slingers and archers going before the host and they that marched in the foreward were all mighty men.

NoteSlingers hurled stones with a leather strap whirled around the head; a slinger and an archer were the long-range weapons of an ancient army, sent ahead to soften up the enemy before the lines closed. "Foreward" means the front line of the advancing army.

12Bacchides himself was on the right wing. The army came forward in its two parts, and they blew their trumpets.

12As for Bacchides, he was in the right wing: so the host drew near on the two parts, and sounded their trumpets.

NoteIn Greek-style armies the commander took the right wing and put his best troops there, so the right was the strongest point of the line. This is why verse 14 says Judas went straight for it: he was attacking the head of the army.

13The men on Judas's side blew their trumpets too, so that the ground shook with the noise of the armies, and the battle went on from morning until night.

13They also of Judas’ side, even they sounded their trumpets also, so that the earth shook at the noise of the armies, and the battle continued from morning till night.

NoteThe trumpets are signal instruments, not musical ones. Short blasts carried orders across the noise of a battlefield, and both sides used them to start the fight.

14When Judas saw that Bacchides and the strongest part of his army were on the right side, he took all the brave men with him,

14Now when Judas perceived that Bacchides and the strength of his army were on the right side, he took with him all the hardy men,

15and they defeated the right wing and chased it as far as Mount Azotus.

15Who discomfited the right wing, and pursued them unto the mount Azotus.

Note"Discomfited" in the King James means routed, broken and put to flight, a far stronger word than it sounds today. "Mount Azotus" is a problem in the text: Azotus (Ashdod) was a city on the coast, many miles from this battlefield, and the Greek here is widely thought to be corrupt. The place Judas chased them to cannot now be identified.

16But when the men on the left wing saw that the right wing had been defeated, they turned and came after Judas and his men, close on their heels from behind.

16But when they of the left wing saw that they of the right wing were discomfited, they followed upon Judas and those that were with him hard at the heels from behind:

17The fighting grew fierce, and many were killed on both sides.

17Whereupon there was a sore battle, insomuch as many were slain on both parts.

18Judas was killed too, and the rest of his men fled.

18Judas also was killed, and the remnant fled.

NoteJudas Maccabeus died in the spring of 160 BC, about eight years after the revolt began.

19Then Jonathan and Simon took the body of Judas their brother and buried him in the tomb of his ancestors at Modin.

19THen Jonathan and Simon took Judas their brother, and buried him in the sepulchre of his fathers in Modin.

NoteJonathan and Simon are two of Judas's four brothers (the others were John and Eleazar); the family is known as the Hasmoneans. Modin was their home village, northwest of Jerusalem, where the revolt had started. A "sepulchre of his fathers" is the family burial cave, where the bones of earlier generations already lay: to be buried there was to be gathered back to one's own people.

20They wept for him, and all Israel mourned him deeply and grieved for many days, saying,

20Moreover they bewailed him, and all Israel made great lamentation for him, and mourned many days, saying,

21"How the brave man has fallen, the one who rescued Israel!"

21How is the valiant man fallen, that delivered Israel!

NoteThe lament deliberately echoes David's song over Saul and Jonathan, "How are the mighty fallen" (2 Samuel 1). A reader in the first century BC would have heard the borrowed line at once.

22The rest of what Judas did, his wars, the noble deeds he performed and his greatness, are not written down, because there were far too many of them.

22As for the other things concerning Judas and his wars, and the noble acts which he did, and his greatness, they are not written: for they were very many.

NoteThis is the standard closing formula of the books of Kings, where a reign ends "the rest of the acts of" so-and-so. Using it of Judas puts him in the company of Israel's kings.

23After the death of Judas, wicked men began to show themselves openly everywhere in Israel, and all who did wrong rose up.

23Now after the death of Judas the wicked began to put forth their heads in all the coasts of Israel, and there arose up all such as wrought iniquity.

Note"Coasts" in the King James means borders or territory, and has nothing to do with the sea. Throughout this book "the wicked" and "the ungodly" are not wrongdoers in general but the party of Jews who cooperated with the Greek kings and adopted Greek ways; that is the political label being used here.

24In those days there was also a very great famine, and the country went over to their side.

24In those days also was there a very great famine, by reason whereof the country revolted, and went with them.

NoteFamine here is a political weapon as much as a hardship: the party in control of supplies could buy loyalty, so hungry villages "went with them" and accepted Seleucid rule.

25Then Bacchides picked out the wicked men and made them rulers of the country.

25Then Bacchides chose the wicked men, and made them lords of the country.

26They asked questions and searched for the friends of Judas and brought them to Bacchides, who punished them and treated them cruelly.

26And they made enquiry and search for Judas’ friends, and brought them unto Bacchides, who took vengeance of them, and used them despitefully.

Note"Used them despitefully" means treated them with deliberate insult and outrage, not simply harshly.

27So there was great suffering in Israel, the like of which had not happened since the time when prophets stopped appearing among them.

27So was there a great affliction in Israel, the like whereof was not since the time that a prophet was not seen among them.

NoteThere was a widespread belief in this period that prophecy in Israel had ceased after Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, and that no prophet had spoken since. The writer is dating the suffering by that gap: nothing this bad had happened in living memory or in the memory of the generations since the voice fell silent.

28Because of this, all the friends of Judas came together and said to Jonathan,

28For this cause all Judas’ friends came together, and said unto Jonathan,

29"Since your brother Judas died, we have no one like him to go out against our enemies, and against Bacchides, and against those of our own nation who are against us.

29Since thy brother Judas died, we have no man like him to go forth against our enemies, and Bacchides, and against them of our nation that are adversaries to us.

30So today we have chosen you to be our prince and commander in his place, to fight our battles for us."

30Now therefore we have chosen thee this day to be our prince and captain in his stead, that thou mayest fight our battles.

Note"Prince and captain" translates two offices: civil ruler and commander in war. What is described is an election by the surviving supporters, not an inheritance; the leadership of the movement passes by the choice of the men, not by birth.

31So Jonathan took the leadership at that time and stood up in the place of his brother Judas.

31Upon this Jonathan took the governance upon him at that time, and rose up instead of his brother Judas.

32When Bacchides learned of it, he tried to kill him.

32But when Bacchides gat knowledge thereof, he sought for to slay him

33Jonathan, his brother Simon, and all who were with him found out, and they fled into the wilderness of Thecoe and camped by the water of the pool of Asphar.

33Then Jonathan, and Simon his brother, and all that were with him, perceiving that, fled into the wilderness of Thecoe, and pitched their tents by the water of the pool Asphar.

NoteThecoe is Tekoa, a village about ten miles south of Jerusalem; its "wilderness" is the dry, broken country falling away east toward the Dead Sea, classic country for fugitives. The pool of Asphar was a cistern or reservoir there.

34When Bacchides heard about it, he came to the Jordan with his whole army on the sabbath day.

34Which when Bacchides understood, he came near to Jordan with all his host upon the sabbath day.

NoteVerse 34 and verse 43 tell very nearly the same thing, and many scholars think one of them is a stray copy that drifted into the wrong place in the manuscripts. The sabbath matters because Jews had traditionally refused to fight on it; earlier in this book Judas's party decided they would defend themselves on the sabbath rather than be slaughtered, which is why an enemy could still gain some advantage by choosing that day.

35Now Jonathan had sent his brother John, a leader of the people, to ask his friends the Nabathites to let them store their baggage with them, for there was a great deal of it.

35Now Jonathan had sent his brother John, a captain of the people, to pray his friends the Nabathites, that they might leave with them their carriage, which was much.

NoteJohn is another of the Maccabee brothers. The Nabathites are the Nabateans, an Arab people who controlled the trade routes east and south of the Jordan and later built Petra; they are treated here as allies. "Carriage" in the King James means baggage, the goods an army carries with it, not a vehicle.

36But the children of Jambri came out of Medaba, seized John and everything he had, and went off with it.

36But the children of Jambri came out of Medaba, and took John, and all that he had, and went their way with it.

NoteThe children of Jambri were a clan in the region of Medaba (Medeba), a town in the old territory of Moab, east of the Dead Sea.

37After this, word came to Jonathan and his brother Simon that the children of Jambri were holding a great wedding, and were bringing the bride from Nadabatha with a large escort, since she was the daughter of one of the great nobles of Chanaan.

37After this came word to Jonathan and Simon his brother, that the children of Jambri made a great marriage, and were bringing the bride from Nadabatha with a great train, as being the daughter of one of the great princes of Chanaan.

NoteChanaan is the Greek spelling of Canaan. A wedding of this kind ran for days, and its central public event was the procession that carried the bride from her father's house to the bridegroom's, with an escort whose size advertised the family's standing.

38So they remembered John their brother, and went up and hid themselves under the cover of the mountain.

38Therefore they remembered John their brother, and went up, and hid themselves under the covert of the mountain:

39There they looked up and saw a great commotion and a lot of baggage. The bridegroom came out with his friends and his relatives to meet the party, with drums, musical instruments, and many weapons.

39Where they lifted up their eyes, and looked, and, behold, there was much ado and great carriage: and the bridegroom came forth, and his friends and brethren, to meet them with drums, and instruments of musick, and many weapons.

Note"Much ado" means a great deal of commotion, and "carriage" again means baggage and goods. The drums are hand drums or tambourines. The weapons are not a sign of trouble: an armed escort firing off shouts and noise was part of the display at a wealthy wedding.

40Then Jonathan and his men rose up against them from where they lay in ambush and killed so many of them that many fell down dead. The rest fled into the mountain, and they took all their belongings.

40Then Jonathan and they that were with him rose up against them from the place where they lay in ambush, and made a slaughter of them in such sort, as many fell down dead, and the remnant fled into the mountain, and they took all their spoils.

41So the wedding was turned into mourning, and the sound of their music into weeping.

41Thus was the marriage turned into mourning, and the noise of their melody into lamentation.

NoteThe line echoes the prophet Amos, "I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation" (Amos 8:10).

42When they had fully avenged the blood of their brother, they went back to the marshes of the Jordan.

42So when they had avenged fully the blood of their brother, they turned again to the marsh of Jordan.

43When Bacchides heard about it, he came on the sabbath day to the banks of the Jordan with a large force.

43Now when Bacchides heard hereof, he came on the sabbath day unto the banks of Jordan with a great power.

44Then Jonathan said to his men, "Let us get up now and fight for our lives, because things are not with us today as they were in the past.

44Then Jonathan said to his company, Let us go up now and fight for our lives, for it standeth not with us to day, as in time past:

45Look, the battle is in front of us and behind us, the water of the Jordan is on this side and that side, and there is marsh and woods as well. There is no place for us to turn aside.

45For, behold, the battle is before us and behind us, and the water of Jordan on this side and that side, the marsh likewise and wood, neither is there place for us to turn aside.

46So cry out now to heaven, that you may be rescued from the hand of your enemies."

46Wherefore cry ye now unto heaven, that ye may be delivered from the hand of your enemies.

Note1 Maccabees never uses the name of God. "Cry unto heaven" is the book's habitual reverent substitute: heaven stands in for God, as it does everywhere else in these pages.

47With that they joined battle, and Jonathan reached out his hand to strike Bacchides, but Bacchides pulled back from him.

47With that they joined battle, and Jonathan stretched forth his hand to smite Bacchides, but he turned back from him.

NoteThe Greek leaves it open who pulled back, Bacchides from the blow or Jonathan from his target. Translators have to pick one; the sentence itself does not say.

48Then Jonathan and his men jumped into the Jordan and swam across to the other bank, but the others did not cross the Jordan after them.

48Then Jonathan and they that were with him leapt into Jordan, and swam over unto the other bank: howbeit the other passed not over Jordan unto them.

49About a thousand men on the side of Bacchides were killed that day.

49So there were slain of Bacchides’ side that day about a thousand men.

50Afterward Bacchides went back to Jerusalem and built up strong cities in Judea: the fort in Jericho, and Emmaus, Bethhoron, Bethel, Thamnatha, Pharathoni and Taphon. He strengthened these with high walls, gates and bars.

50Afterward returned Bacchides to Jerusalem and repaired the strong cites in Judea; the fort in Jericho, and Emmaus, and Bethhoron, and Bethel, and Thamnatha, Pharathoni, and Taphon, these did he strengthen with high walls, with gates and with bars.

NoteThese are the forts of a ring of control around Judea: Jericho guarding the Jordan valley, Emmaus and Beth-horon covering the roads up from the coastal plain, Bethel to the north, and Thamnatha, Pharathoni and Taphon in the hill country. "Bars" are the heavy beams dropped across gates on the inside to hold them shut.

51He placed soldiers in them to do harm to Israel.

51And in them he set a garrison, that they might work malice upon Israel.

52He also fortified the city of Bethsura, and Gazera, and the citadel, and put troops in them along with supplies of food.

52He fortified also the city Bethsura, and Gazera, and the tower, and put forces in them, and provision of victuals.

NoteBethsura is Beth-zur, the fortress on the southern approach to Jerusalem; Gazera is Gezer, on the road from the coast. "The tower" is the Akra, the Seleucid citadel inside Jerusalem itself, a garrison of foreign troops planted in the middle of the city and a standing grievance for years.

53Besides that, he took the sons of the leading men of the country as hostages and put them under guard in the citadel at Jerusalem.

53Besides, he took the chief men’s sons in the country for hostages, and put them into the tower at Jerusalem to be kept.

NoteTaking the sons of leading families as hostages was normal imperial practice. The boys were not punished; they were held as a guarantee, and their fathers knew what would happen to them if their fathers rebelled.

54In the year one hundred fifty-three, in the second month, Alcimus gave orders that the wall of the inner court of the sanctuary should be torn down. He also tore down the work of the prophets.

54Moreover in the hundred fifty and third year, in the second month, Alcimus commanded that the wall of the inner court of the sanctuary should be pulled down; he pulled down also the works of the prophets

NoteThe one hundred fifty-third year, second month, is about spring 159 BC. The wall of the inner court divided the area open only to Jews from the outer court, which Gentiles could enter; pulling it down erased that separation. "The works of the prophets" is obscure: it probably means building work credited to the prophets Haggai and Zechariah at the rebuilding of the temple, but the phrase is not explained, and no one is certain what structure is meant.

55Just as he began the tearing down, at that very time Alcimus was struck down and his projects were stopped. His mouth was closed, and he was seized with paralysis, so that he could no longer say anything or give orders about his household.

55And as he began to pull down, even at that time was Alcimus plagued, and his enterprizes hindered: for his mouth was stopped, and he was taken with a palsy, so that he could no more speak any thing, nor give order concerning his house.

Note"Palsy" is the King James word for paralysis; the symptoms described, sudden loss of speech and of the use of the body, read like a stroke. "Give order concerning his house" means settle his affairs and say how his estate was to be handled, which a dying man was expected to do aloud.

56So Alcimus died at that time in great pain.

56So Alcimus died at that time with great torment.

57When Bacchides saw that Alcimus was dead, he went back to the king, and the land of Judea had rest for two years.

57Now when Bacchides saw that Alcimus was dead, he returned to the king: whereupon the land of Judea was in rest two years.

Note"Returned to the king" means went back to the royal court at Antioch in Syria, several hundred miles north.

58Then all the ungodly men held a meeting and said, "Look, Jonathan and his men are living quietly and without any worry. So now let us bring Bacchides here, and he will capture them all in a single night."

58Then all the ungodly men held a council, saying, Behold, Jonathan and his company are at ease, and dwell without care: now therefore we will bring Bacchides hither, who shall take them all in one night.

59So they went and talked it over with him.

59So they went and consulted with him.

60Then he set out and came with a great army, and he secretly sent letters to his supporters in Judea telling them to seize Jonathan and those with him. But they could not do it, because their plan had become known to them.

60Then removed he, and came with a great host, and sent letters privily to his adherents in Judea, that they should take Jonathan and those that were with him: howbeit they could not, because their counsel was known unto them.

61So they took about fifty of the men of the country who had started this trouble, and killed them.

61Wherefore they took of the men of the country, that were authors of that mischief, about fifty persons, and slew them.

62After that Jonathan, Simon and those with them got away to Bethbasi, which is in the wilderness. They rebuilt the parts of it that had fallen down and made it strong.

62Afterward Jonathan, and Simon, and they that were with him, got them away to Bethbasi, which is in the wilderness, and they repaired the decays thereof, and made it strong.

NoteBethbasi was a ruined fort in the wilderness southeast of Bethlehem. "Repaired the decays thereof" means rebuilt the parts that had collapsed.

63When Bacchides learned of it, he gathered his whole army together and sent word to his people in Judea.

63Which thing when Bacchides knew, he gathered together all his host, and sent word to them that were of Judea.

64Then he went and laid siege to Bethbasi. They fought against it for a long time and built machines of war.

64Then went he and laid siege against Bethbasi; and they fought against it a long season and made engines of war.

Note"Engines of war" are siege machines: battering rams, movable towers, and catapults for throwing stones. Building them took time, which is why the siege drags, and burning them in verse 67 undoes weeks of work.

65But Jonathan left his brother Simon in the city and went out himself into the countryside, and he went out with a certain number of men.

65But Jonathan left his brother Simon in the city, and went forth himself into the country, and with a certain number went he forth.

66He struck down Odonarkes and his relatives, and the children of Phasiron in their tents.

66And he smote Odonarkes and his brethren, and the children of Phasiron in their tent.

NoteOdonarkes and the children of Phasiron appear to be desert clans allied with Bacchides. The names are spelled differently in different manuscripts, and nothing else is known about them.

67When he began to strike them down and was coming up with his forces, Simon and his men came out of the city and burned the machines of war.

67And when he began to smite them, and came up with his forces, Simon and his company went out of the city, and burned up the engines of war,

68They fought against Bacchides and defeated him, and they hurt him badly, for his plan and his campaign had come to nothing.

68And fought against Bacchides, who was discomfited by them, and they afflicted him sore: for his counsel and travail was in vain.

Note"Travail" means hard labor or exertion, here his whole campaign; the sentence says his plan and his effort both came to nothing.

69So he was very angry with the wicked men who had advised him to come into the country, and he killed many of them and decided to go back to his own land.

69Wherefore he was very wroth at the wicked men that gave him counsel to come into the country, inasmuch as he slew many of them, and purposed to return into his own country.

70When Jonathan learned of this, he sent messengers to him to make peace with him and to have the prisoners handed over.

70Whereof when Jonathan had knowledge, he sent ambassadors unto him, to the end he should make peace with him, and deliver them the prisoners.

71Bacchides agreed to it and did what Jonathan asked, and he swore to him that he would never do him harm as long as he lived.

71Which thing he accepted, and did according to his demands, and sware unto him that he would never do him harm all the days of his life.

72So he gave back to him the prisoners he had taken earlier out of the land of Judea. Then he turned and went away to his own land, and he never came into their territory again.

72When therefore he had restored unto him the prisoners that he had taken aforetime out of the land of Judea, he returned and went his way into his own land, neither came he any more into their borders.

73So the sword stopped in Israel. Jonathan lived at Machmas and began to govern the people, and he cleared the ungodly men out of Israel.

73Thus the sword ceased from Israel: but Jonathan dwelt at Machmas, and began to govern the people; and he destroyed the ungodly men out of Israel.

Note"The sword ceased" is a set phrase for the end of a state of war. Machmas is Michmash, a village about seven miles north of Jerusalem. The Greek word behind "govern" is the verb used of the judges in the book of Judges, so the sentence casts Jonathan as a judge of Israel rather than a king.